One aspect of the study was to observe students in a technology rich environment. So students were observed in the library’s Learning Commons as well as the computer lab in the Student Union.

I appreciated the authors insights into the purpose or use of the Learning Commons.

1. The authors use some academic concepts to help us understand why certain technology rich spaces work. I really liked the idea of “co-presence”- students gathering in the Learning Commons not just for the resources, not just for the comfort, not just for the people, but more for the sense that being there spurs one towards a goal and the learning commons elicits conformity towards participating in scholarly activities. Thus the Learning Commons is NOT a computer lab with a cafe, but is a space where scholarly activity is happening.

2. The authors highlighted that even though libraries themselves have physically changed to adapt to their users, libraries are still the hub of scholarly activity on campus.

Overall the study does not reveal anything new, but affirms other research efforts and developing trends in technology use.

Thompson discusses a recent experiment where college students were asked to perform basic searches in Google and evaluate the results selecting the best ones. The trick is that half of the results had been falsified so that the top results were not good results. Students didn’t notice. They still chose the first results.

Lesson? Students trust the machine too much. Or students have been trained to have a certain expectation of the machine, which is that it works wonderfully well and the best results are always the first results!

I would not be impressed by this study if indeed the first results were always the best results. If the first results were always spot on I’d say that they experiment was flawed. But while Google’s algorithm does retrieve highly relevant results most of the time, the truth is that it does not always give you the best results.

And beyond that the first results are indeed better when you start with a better search strategy. This is where I too often see college students failing. Most students have difficulty determining what their key search terms are and other possible search terms they could try.

I have helped many a student perform a successful Google search, on the first try, when their many attempts had failed. What makes my searches more successful? Background knowledge on the topic combined with thoughtful analysis of the students information need. That is given my experience with different types of information sources I can visualize what type of source they would find most useful and with my broad based general knowledge can determine what key terms would be best to search for.

This kind of skills can only be learned over time with practice and exposure. But I’d like to offer up a few helpful skills that students could develop:

1. Read carefully. Careful reading of a source will often help you contextualize your key terms and find more key terms as well.

2. Slow down. Don’t rush into your search. Break down your thoughts and spend some time thinking of alternative words.

3. Mock up your ideal information source. One would be the title of the best possible source for your research? What would it include? What would it not be? Thinking about this will help you identify a good source when you see it and help you identify more good search terms.

Check it out: http://guides.library.uwm.edu/infolit

photo © 2009 arvind grover | more info (via: Wylio)

Abbott challenges educators to shift their emphasis in the classroom from distilling knowledge to students to helping them learn how to learn. He argues that this shift is necessary because our students have grown up in a digital world where their online research skills have not taught them how to know something, that is how to come to knowing something. Without a clear sense of how they know something students, with the help of standardized tests, have confused knowledge (having information) with knowing (understanding something).

As a librarian I encounter students who fit Abbott’s description all the time. Students often seek help for finding information that clearly answers or states their ideas or answers the research question. I virtually never get students asking for background information to help them contextualize their research questions.

I also get to see students actively at work in the library- researching and writing papers. I often see students hunting, selecting, and pasting information from sources rarely concerned with reading a work from beginning to end. One time I assisted a student who wanted to cite a book chapter from an online book; she was only able to read the first 2 pages of the chapter, but “It has the information I need,” she said. I tried to press her and get her to consider the fact that she did not know the context for the information nor the author’s argument. She did not feel the need to know that as the information here was enough for her purposes.

Other scholars have looked at this issue from a different perspective. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” comes to mind. Abbott’s talk highlights more of the effect on processing and organizing information as opposed to retaining information. Both or useful though and would be good readings for any class on research skills.

So I’m wondering if this is true? I’m going to do some digging around for some survey data on this and report back.

UW-Forward is currently in beta, but we are seeking your feedback! So take a look and let us know if you like it.

The first is Mobile Iniative. The website is very bare bones, but the big thing is that Michael Hostad, who is heading this project, wants to hear from YOU! The aim is to develop a UWM mobile app that will be useful – not just informative or cool. One example is a mobile app that will help you find your classes on campuses, using your GPS location it would let you know how far you need to go, how much time it will take you, maybe where you can stop and get a coffee on the way!

Image Credit:MobileMarketingWatch.com

As a librarian, I’d love to see an app that allowed users to create a personalized UWM library. I imagine it working something like this: A student tells the app what their major is, what their current classes are, what their personal interests are and then the app takes this information and creates a customized app and search tool that includes databases, reserve readings, books, and journals that students will want to search within and access. This is a big picture description. Many details would need to be worked out. It could include one search box for searching these recommended sources. It could also include an RSS feature that automatically sends them alerts when new books and journal articles were available. The sky is the limit!

And that’s the kind of big picture app that Mr. Hostad wants to hear about. If you’ve got an idea send it his way.

The second initiative is UW-Milwaukee’s Digital Future. This is a campus planning initiative to imagine, plan, and enact real changes to how the university operates: researches, delivers services, and performs its core mission of educating students. The conversation kicked-off on October 19 (during Open Access Week) with a keynote presentation from Richard Katz, formerly of EDUcause. The day’s conversation centered around three big university areas: 1. Teaching and Learning, 2. Research, and 3. University Operations and Services. Planning and discussion will continue throughout the year.

I won’t report on the details of the day, but one comment that resonated with me and I think is important to students, is that online classes are not the only digital future for student learning. Online classes have grown tremendously over the years, but there is so much more that technology can offer education. What will a classroom look like in 2020? What will students expect from a university in 2020? What will be the role of faculty in 2020? What will students look like in 2020? Big and interesting questions. The conversation should be lively and I hope that the outcome will help UWM better position itself for delivering education in the future.

This month we are featuring the UWM Book Arts Collection. I’m a fan of artist books and have dabbled in the creation of handmade books, journals, and calendars myself. So I highly recommend that you check out the collection.

As part of our fall semester kick-off last month we ran a contest to capture a picture from one of our digital collections and we featured our Milwaukee Neighborhoods digital collection. We had great participation in the contest. It was fun to read some of the creative captions students submitted.

The UWM digital collections are excellent resources that offer unique teaching, learning, and research opportunities not only for the UMW community but for researchers around the world.

The authors do a good job of positioning the film in relation to the development of the Internet as well as the role of information seeking in any mystery or private investigation story. Even though the Internet is 18 years old this year, there is a still a section of society that largely seeks information without the help of the Internet. And amongst those that do seek information on the Net, we find that many still behave more like Walter where they aggressively seek out information that meets their current world view.

When it comes to undergraduate researchers I’d say they are bit more like The Dude- open to finding new information, but lacking a clear direction as to where to find the most appropriate information. Therefore they take whatever comes into their path without a clear sense of when their need is filled. Filling the need is not necessarily the goal (which is a good thing in my mind) but more a matter of necessity and timing. What’s the minimum amount of information I need? What’s the smallest amount of time I need to accomplish this task?

Hopefully as students progress through their college careers they become more like Maude who had a clear sense of the information she needed and knew the best ways to get that information.

I’d like to think that this paper would make for a good conversation in an Information Literacy course, but I’m not sure that The Big Lebowski is readily accessible to most 18 year olds today. I think most of the people my age have seen it, but the current entering freshmen was born in 1992 and this film came out in 1998.  So students might need to be required to view the film first.

Of course if you’re in town this weekend you can catch it down at Discovery World’s Point Brewery’s  Fish Fry and a Flick.